Feed to driving tool having band held screws

ABSTRACT

In a driving tool for fasteners a driver has guide jaws releasably clamped thereagainst for holding a fastener in frontal alignment therewith. During driving movement of the driver together with said fastener towards a work piece, the guide jaws, in response to said fastener striking against the work piece, are arrested in spaced relation to the work piece and knocked loose from the driver for releasing the fastener from the guide jaws while the driver continues its driving movement. The driving tool may be provided with a magazine for band supported fasteners, which by an ejector are forced to break out laterally one by one from the band in between the guide jaws and by a feeder are moved together with the band one after the other to the ejector, said ejector and feeder being pivotally supported on a rocker member such as to alternately actuate the fasteners as the arm is rocked alternately in one direction and the other.

United States Patent Fernstrom [151 3,698,599 [451' Oct. 17,1972

[s4] FEED T0 DRIVING TOOL HAVING BAND HELD SCREWS v [72] Inventor: Gustaf Harry Fernstrom, Klinten,

Sweden v[73] Assignee: Atlas Copco Aktiebolag, Nacka,

1 I Sweden v [22] Filed: Feb. 19, 1971 211 Appl. No.2 116,852

. Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 838,515, July 2, 1969, Pat

, NO.3,6Q1,168.

52 US. Cl ..221/2s, 22 1/74 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 5/28 [58] Field of Search ..22l/25, 70, 71, 72, 73,74, 221/238; 227/136, 137;"144/32 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,261,526 3/1964 Novak ..227/136 X I 3,543,987 12/1970 Obergfelletal ..-...227/l36 A Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-David A. Scherbel Attorney-Munson & Fiddler In a driving tool for fasteners a driver has guide jaws releasably clamped thereagainst for holding a fastener in frontal alignment therewith. During driving movement of the driver together with said fastener towards a work piece, the guide. jaws, in response to said fastener striking against the work piece, are arrested in spaced relation to the work piece and knocked loose from the driver for releasing the fastener from the guide jaws while the driver continues its driving movement. The driving too] may be provided with a magazine for band supported fasteners, which by an ejector are forced to break out laterally one by one from the band in between the guide jaws and by a feeder are moved together with the band one after the other to the ejector, said ejector and feeder being 'pivot'ally supported on a rocker member such as to alternately actuate the fasteners as the arm is rocked alternately in one direction and the other.

5 Claims, 9 Drawing'Figures PATENIED I 7 3. 6 98, 599

SHEET 1 BF 2 5 2/ 5 GUSTAF HARRY FERNSTROZ-i 42 I N VEN TOR.

BY Z IUNSON & FIDDLER,

A t tor ne ys PATENTEDUEI 17 I972 3.698, 599

sum 2 OF 2 5 q- 6 L INVENTOR.

GUSTAF HARRY FERNSTROM MUNSON & FIDDLER,

Attorneys FEED T DRIVING TOOL IIAVING BAND IIELD SCREWS This is a division of application Ser. No. 838,515 filed July 2, 1969 now US. Pat.'No. 3,601,168.

This invention relates to a driving too] for fasteners and particularly to a driving tool for fasteners in which ranged to grip and hold a fastener in front of the driver Y and a retracted separated position for releasing the fastener. r

In such driving tools the guide jaws ina number of design solutions hitherto'have been released by striking against-cam or abutment surfaces on the guide body, the abutment surfaces being axially adjustable to selective predetermined fixed positions thereon relative to the driving tool. Since the distance between the abutme'ntsurfaces and the workpieces into .which'the fasteners are to be driven often maybe subjected to considerable variation, there occurs, because of the fixed position of said abutment surfaces, the risk of canted impacting or loss of the fastener when the latter is released too early. In other solutions the jaws hit the work piece for release thereby often causing undesirable denting or marring of the work surface. It is followingly the object of the invention to improve the advancement of the fastener to the work piece by making 7 the release of the guide jaws directly dependent on the one aspect of the invention provideda driving tool for fasteners comprising a guide body, a driver axially movably carried in said guide body betweenretracted and extended positions relative thereto, a feed opening on said guide body,'means for feeding fasteners one after the other through said feed opening into frontal alignment with said driver in theretracted position thereof, guide jaws axially; movable relative 'to said driver in said guide body between projected conjunct position on saiddriver for holding a fastener thus fed by said feeding means in front of said driver and a separated position in said guide body loose from said driver for releasing said fastener, releasable holding means in said driving tool movable in conjunction with said driver for clamping said guide jaws against said driver in said projected conjunct position of said guide jaws duringdriving movement of said driver together with said fastener held in front thereof towards a work piece into which said fastener is to be driven, and surfaces on said guide jaws cooperating with said, fastener held therebetween for arresting said guide jaws in spaced relation to said work piece and for knocking them loose from said driver by release of said holding means the instant said fastener strikes against said work piece during the driving movement of said driver. The invention also relates to a driving tool magazine for band supported fasteners, more particularly for a driving tool of the above mentioned character in which a driver is carried axially movably in a'guide body and a feeder is arranged in said magazine to bring the fasteners of the band, one after the other, forward to a vfeed opening while an ejector in said magazine is arrangedto push the fasteners having thus been brought forward, out of the band via the feeding opening into the path of movement of the driver.

In such magazines the band has hitherto normally been directed to intersect the path of'movement of the 'driver at which instant interference can occur as a result of broken-out band fragments following and subsequently jamming the movement of the drivenln prior use of magazine ejectors in combination with a band avoiding said path, the hitherto constructional suggestions havebeen' complicated and costly. It is' followingly an object of the invention to substantially-simplify the construction of driving tool magazines of the character in question here by a simple and handy com bination of the ejection and feeding functions;

Forthe hereinabove mentioned and other'purpos'es there is according to another aspectof thev invention provided in a driving tool including guide body, a driver axially movably carried in said: guide body, and a feed opening on said guide body, a driving tool magazine for other through saidfeed opening into the path of movement of said. driver,'said magazine comprising a housing, a rocker member pivotally joumalled in said housing adjacent said guide body in a plane transverse to said driver, an ejector movably mounted in said hous-- ing pivotally on the one'end of said rocker member for pushing a leading fastener out of the band via said feed opening into the path of movement of said driver when said one end is rocked towards said fe'ed opening and for retracting said ejector when rocked away, from said feed opening, a feeder movably mounted in said housing pivotally. on the other end of said rocker member for feeding forward the next fastener in said band to said feed opening when said, other end is rocked towards said feed opening and for retracting said feeder when rocked away from said feed opening, and means for alternately rocking the ends of said rocker member towards and away from said feed opening. 1 v

The above and other purposes of the invention will becomeobvious from the following description and It should be understood that this embodiment is only illustrative of the invention and that various modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the claims.-

In the drawings,

FIG. I shows aside view of a driving'tool embodying the invention.

, FIG. 2 is a front view of the driving tool in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view partly in section on the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 but showing another position of the details involved therein.

FIG. 5 isa longitudinal enlarged section of the forward portion of the driving tool seen on the line 5-5 in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the details in FIG. 5 during driving of a fastener.

FIG. 8-is a view shown partly in section on the line 88 in FIG. 5. I

FIG..9, finally, shows a fragmentary top view of a feed band for the driving tool.

sustained driving tool such as a nailing machine or a powered screw driver. As an example suitable for description has been chosen the latter alternative, the screw driver including a conventional pressure fluid driven vane motor, not shown, which over a suitable gearing, likewise not shown, drives the driving clutch part 1 1 in a clutch 11, 14, FIG. 5. At the forward end of the screw driver 10 is threadedly affixed a forwardly directed, partly cut-away outer sleeve 12, in the interior of which is fixed a rearwardly disposed stop ring 13. The driven clutch part 14 cooperating with the clutch part 11 abuts, when in uncoupled non-rotating position, against the stop ring 13. The clutch part 14 carries an elongated driver 15 arranged in the outer sleeve 12, which driver 15 in the screw driver application in in frontal alignment with the bit 16 emie driver is during movement of the latter from retracted to projected position in the guide body 20. The gripping action is achieved by way of suitable engaging surfaces cooperating with the fastener to be gripped. Thus in case of headed fasteners 25, the guide jaws are provided with suitable V-shaped recesses adaptedto 7. In such position the guide jaws 30 lie freely separatedv loosely in the slots 22 with the wedge jaws 32disposed question here carries a bit 16 forwardly thereon in I tended for cooperation with screws or fasteners 25 provided with screw driving grooves. Between the driving clutch part 1 1 and the driven clutch part 14 is inserted a spring 17 which bears against a cross pin 18 in the interior of the driver 15 and against the driving clutch part 11 through the intermediary of a ball 19. The spring 17 normally moves the clutch parts 11, 14 apart, at which instant the driven clutch part 14 abuts against the stop ring 13 without rotating, while the ball 19 makes possible full rotation of the driving clutch part 11 with respect to the clutch part 14.

The driver 15 projects axially slidably and rotatably into a guide body 20 which is made in one piece with a magazine housing 21 disposed transversely and perpendicularly thereagainst. The guide body 20 is arranged slidably in the outer sleeve 12 and is provided with a pair of long axial slots 22 which at the rear are terminated by canted abutment surfaces 23. The guide body 20 is provided with a feed opening 24 for insertion of fasteners 25, The housing 21 is covered by a cover 26 affixed thereto by screws and between the cover 26 and a setting nut 27, which is threadedly and axially adjustable supported on the outer sleeve 12, is inserted a helical spring 28 striving to move the guide body 20 to a projected position with respect to the outer sleeve 12 at which instant the driver 15 with the bit 16 takes retracted position within the guide body 20, FIG. 5.

In the slots 22 of the guide body 20 is loosely inserted a pair of elongated guide jaws 30 each of them rearwardly provided with a thickened end stop portion presenting a radially outward wedge abutment 31 adjacent and in front of the end stop portion. A holding means for the guide jaws 30 consists of a pair of wedge jaws 32 each inserted in an opening 33 arranged diametrically in the outer sleeve 12 and being biased radially inwardly by a spring ring 34 around the outer sleeve 12. The holding means consisting of the wedge jaws 32 is intended for keeping the guide jaws 30 under spring pressure against the driver 15 in axially slidable abutting and non-rotating relation relative thereto in the slots 22. In such abutting position the forward ends of the guide jaws 30 are disposed in a projected, resiliently brought-together or conjunct position in front of the bit 16 of the driver 15, the guide jaws 30 thus being able to clamp, by 'way of an encircling laterally applied gripping action a fastener 25 that has been inserted in between the guide jaws 30 through the feed opening 24 such as to keep the fastener in position W. m nimum.

radially outwardly of the guide jaws 30 rearwardly of front stop lugs thereon. The wedge jaws 32 cooperate with'the wedge abutments 31 and are pushed up on said abutments against the thickened rear end stops of the guide jaws 30 to stop forward projection of the guide body 20 relative to the outer sleeve 12 due to the action of the helical spring 28. At such projection the abutment surfaces 23 of the slots 22 cooperate with rear end surfaces 35 on the guide jaws 30 so that the guide jaws 30 are moved forwardly in between the wedge jaws 32 to projected conjunct position relative to and against the driver 15.

It is preferred to insert the fasteners 25 in a feed band 38 of plastic material, preferably polyethylene, provided with longitudinally spaced holes 39 into which the fasteners 25 are pushed perpendicularly relative to the band 38, the holes 39 being arranged immediately adjacent one edge 38 of the band 38 so that it will be.

possible to project the fastening means 25 laterally out of the band while breaking through the edge portion 41 running perpendicularly to the guide passage 40.-

The feeding slot 41 is terminated at the feed opening 24. On the feed housing 21 and the cover 26 thereof is carried pivotally a journal 42 to which is affixed an outer operating lever 48. The journal 42 carries nonrotatably thereon a rocker member or arm 43 within the feed housing 21 which can be pivoted on the journal 42 between two limit positions, FIG. 3 and 4, respectively, defined by a stop pin 49 in the housing 21. At opposite sides of the journal 42 the arm 43 carriesrespectively an ejector 44 and a feeder 45, both of them being pivotally journalled on the arm 43. A plate spring 46 on the arm 43 strives to move the feeder 45 in between the fastener 25 in the feeding slot 41. When the operating lever 48 is pivoted manually to rock the arm 43 in one direction, for example counter-clockwise from the position in FIG. 3 to the position in FIG. 4, the ejector 44 is driven into the feed opening 24 feeding a fastener 25 by the stem thereof into the path of movement of the driver 15 and in between the guide jaws 30 and therecesses 30, FIG. 5, thereof. Simultaneously therewith the feeder 45 is moved back onestep passing over the next fastener stem in the band 38. In case of need, the band 38 is prevented from retreating out of the guide passage 40 by an arresting dog 47 in the feed housing 21 which dog is moved by a plate spring 37 'lockingly in behind the stem of the next fastener 25, the

45 pushes forward the next fastener to the feed opening' 24 simultaneously with the ejector 44 being therefrom.

With the ejector 44 thus having placed a fastener 25 between the guide jaws 30, the driving tool will be started so that the driving clutch part 11 starts rotating. Thereupon the guide body 20 is placed against the workpiece and the driving tool 10 is forced forwardly against the action of the helical spring 28. This causes the outer sleeve 12 to move forward with respect to'the stationary guide body 20, during which movement the fastener 25 being held between the guide jaws 30 follows the driver and the outer sleeve 12 since the wedge jaws 32 force the guide jaws 30 radially inwardly frictionally against the driver 15. When the work piece 50 is contacted, the work piecebeing for example a plasterboard or a sheet metal panel, the fastener 25 is stopped dead in the forward motion thereof together with the guide jaws 30 while the wedge jaws 32 together with the outer sleeve 12 continue-in forward direction together with the driving tool 10. Friction and cam action between the guide jaws 30 and the driver 15 causes that the driver 15,.as well, tends to move rearwardly under compression of the spring 17, the spring force of which and the distances between the parts involved being calculated such that the driven clutch part 14 will mate with the driven clutch part 11 simultaneously with the wedge jaws 32 sliding down from the wedge abutments 31 on the guide jaws 30 and the latter drawn out moving apart and being knocked loose from the wedge jaws 32 thus released. The driver 15 starts rotating and the tip of its bit 16 rotates the fastener 25 by way of the driving groove therein. The mated position reached is illustrated in FIG. 6 and the released guide jaws 30 are lying non-rotatably in their slots 22 in the stationary guide sleeve while the fastener 25 is screwed down into the work piece 50 into a pre-drilled hole therein by way of self-tapping or. self-drilling. In FIG. 7 is illustrated the endstage of the driving, at which instant the increasing rotational resistance due to the screw head penetrating into the work piece 50 causes the clutch parts l1, 14 to disengage by conventional mechanism, not shown, and causes the rotation of the driver to cease. As an alternative and in case of pliable work pieces the setting' nut 27 is adjusted such as to set the turns of the helical spring 28 to bear against one another just prior to the instant the head of the fastener has been screwed down fully into the work piece, the

compressed spring windings thereby providing a forward limit stop for the driving tool 10. As a continuation the final driving of the screw head is then completed simultaneously with the clutch parts l1, 14 being disengaged from one another, the driver 15 being released when the head has been driven home.

When the driving tool 10 is retracted from the work piece, the helicalspring 28 expands retracting the outer sleeve 12 and the driver 15 with respect to the guide body 20 and housing 21. During such movement the guide jaws 30 are taken rearwardly by the wedge jaws 32 engaging the thickened rear endstop thereon on towards the abutment surfaces 23, against which the rear end surfaces 35 of the guide jaws 30 come to rest simultaneously with the wedge jaws 32 sliding up on the wedge abutment surfaces 31. As a result the guide jaws 30 are subjected to spring load radially inwardly taking conjunct projected position for the next driving cycle, FIG. 5, in front of the driver 15 and its bit 16. In such position the operating lever 48 of the driving tool magazine will be rocked to and fro for feeding forward the next fastener 25 in between the guide jaws 30 as described hereinabove.

If it is desired to remove a fastener 25 that has been faces 52 of the axial slots 22. As a result the guide jaws 30 are moved to retracted separated position and the fastneing means 25 falls out. 1

Obviously the guide jaw arrangement of the invention may advantageously be applied in driving tools without rotation, as'well, primarily in tools for driving band supported nails or in tools wherein the nails are supplied in between the guide jaws 30 in other way.

' I claim: 1. In a driving tool including guide body, a driver axially movably carried in said guide body, and a, feed opening on said guide body, a driving tool magazine for supplying fasteners supported by a band one after the other through said feed opening into the path of movement of said driver, said magazine comprising a housing, a rocker member pivotally journalled in said housing adjacent said guide body in a plane transverse to said driver, an ejector movably mounted in said housing pivotally on the one end of said rocker member for pushing a leading fastener out of the band via said feed opening into the path of movement of said driver when said one end is rocked towards said feed opening and allowing said ejector to retract when rocked away from said feed opening, a feeder movably mounted in said housing pivotally on the other end of said rocker member for feeding forward the next fastener in said band to said feed opening when said other end is rocked towards said feed opening and allowing said feeder to retract when rocked away from said feed opening, and means for alternately rocking the ends of guide passage and terminated at said feed opening, said guide passage passing all through said housing.

4. A driving tool magazine according to claim 1 in which said rocking means is a manually actuatable lever, a journal in said housing for the pivotal supporting of said rocker member therein, and said lever connected to said journal outside said housing.

5. A feed band for a driving tool magazine according to claim 1 in which said fastenersare supported in longitudinally spaced holes in said band substantially per- 

1. In a driving tool including guIde body, a driver axially movably carried in said guide body, and a feed opening on said guide body, a driving tool magazine for supplying fasteners supported by a band one after the other through said feed opening into the path of movement of said driver, said magazine comprising a housing, a rocker member pivotally journalled in said housing adjacent said guide body in a plane transverse to said driver, an ejector movably mounted in said housing pivotally on the one end of said rocker member for pushing a leading fastener out of the band via said feed opening into the path of movement of said driver when said one end is rocked towards said feed opening and allowing said ejector to retract when rocked away from said feed opening, a feeder movably mounted in said housing pivotally on the other end of said rocker member for feeding forward the next fastener in said band to said feed opening when said other end is rocked towards said feed opening and allowing said feeder to retract when rocked away from said feed opening, and means for alternately rocking the ends of said rocker member towards and away from said feed opening.
 2. A driving tool magazine according to claim 1 in which there is provided a guide passage in said housing for said band extending towards said feed opening in laterally off-set relation to the path of movement of said driver.
 3. A driving tool magazine according to claim 2 in which said fasteners are supported in longitudinally spaced holes in said band substantially perpendicularly relative thereto, said housing being provided with a feeding slot for said fasteners extending along said guide passage and terminated at said feed opening, said guide passage passing all through said housing.
 4. A driving tool magazine according to claim 1 in which said rocking means is a manually actuatable lever, a journal in said housing for the pivotal supporting of said rocker member therein, and said lever connected to said journal outside said housing.
 5. A feed band for a driving tool magazine according to claim 1 in which said fasteners are supported in longitudinally spaced holes in said band substantially perpendicularly relative thereto characterized by said holes being disposed immediately adjacent one edge of said band such as to permit said edge adjacent said holes to be broken through by said fasteners when ejected into said feed opening by said ejector. 